THE sad story of the acting Selsey coxswain, Douglas Arnell, who was obliged to relinquish his post because of colour blindness, was widely reported in the press earlier this year. It may therefore be helpful to explain the RNLI's regulations. Colour blindness has long been accepted as a serious handicap to all seamen, and many people have been obliged to abandon the hope of a career in the Royal and Merchant Navies because of this defect.

In particular it is vitally important that the difference between red and green navigation lights should be recognised immediately. Mr Arnell was unfortunately quite unable to make the distinction.

The present RNLI's rules are that every man before being appointed a boat's officer or on promotion must satisfy certain medical tests, including that for colour blindness, before the appointment can be confirmed. In addition, at the age of 57, boats' officers are required to take these tests annually (and from the age of 60 upwards any boat's officer who continues in service must have a test before any further yearly extension can be granted).

Mr Arnell had served as a member of the Selsey crew for years with distinction and his family had a long connection with the lifeboat, but it would have been an irresponsible act on the part of the Institution to confirm a man's promotion to coxswain who was handicapped in this way. Naturally there was much sympathy everywhere, particularly in Selsey, with Mr Arnell's plight, but the decision not to do so had to be made and the lifeboat remains fully manned.Local Cooperation The RNLI and the Hayling Island Sea Rescue and Research Organisation, generally known as HISRrO, have decided to form an association which will enable them to operate joint rescue services from Hayling Island beginning in the spring of 1974.

An inshore lifeboat station will be established by the RNLI operating a new Atlantic-class 21-foot boat. Mr Frank Martin, the founder of HISRrO and the driving force behind it, will be appointed honorary secretary of this new RNLI station. He will be supported by two deputy launching authorities.

HISRrO will be moving from its present location and will be operating from the same site as the RNLI, but will continue its own rescue operations, which include operating a patrolling boat at weekends and at other times when many pleasure craft are at sea. HISRrO has always placed strong emphasis on the role which swimmers can play in sea rescue.

HISRrO, which is registered as a charity, will continue its present work on rescue techniques and boat development, the results of which will be made available to the RNLI. Fund raising by both organisations will be provided towards the support of RNLI funds.

The RNLI has a long tradition of working closely with local rescue organisations but this is the first time in Great Britain that there has been a formal association between a national and a local organisation engaged in sea rescue.

Raymond Baxter's TV Appeal Mr Raymond Baxter's RNLI Appeal on BBC television on Sunday, July 15, and the appeal made by Coxswain George Leith of Lerwick on BBC Radio 4 for Scotland on the same evening together producd £10,855.53ip.

Science Museum Exhibition An exhibition showing all the most important technological advances in life boat design, construction and equipment will be held in the Science Museum in Kensington from February 20 to April 16 as part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the RNLI's COVER PICTURE l ik bur-h. on the Suffolk coast, has always been famous for its lifeboatmen, the Cable family being particularly remembered. Then there are the Woods. And this quarter's cover is of Coxswain Reuben ood who was presented with the RNLI's bronze medal at the annual meeting in May. For on April 10, 1972, the Aldeburgh lifeboat The Alfred and Patience Gottwald' rescued the crew of three of the fishing boat 'Ocean Pride', which was overdue from a fishing trip in a south south westerly gale and a very rough sea. When found the fishermen were passed life-jackets as their boat would have a very dangerous passage across two shoals to reach the beach.

In fact, she was overcome by a large wave and sank as she crossed the inner shoal. The lifeboat, which was following astern, quickly rescued the three fishermen. — Picture by Margaret Murray.

foundation. The museum authorities have provided an excellent gallery, and it is confidently expected that more than a quarter of a million people will visit the exhibition. Another attractive event which has recently been agreed is the staging of a cricket match by the Whitbread Wanderers next summer. A possible venue for the match is Exmouth.

In the April number of THE LIFEBOAT order forms are being included for the various commemorative items including the new rose named 'Lifeboat Jubilee'.

Agatha Christie and the RNLI In one of Agatha C'hristie's novels entitled Passage to Frankfurt, which has recently been published in paperback, the principal character lends his passport to a girl to enable her to enter Britain.

She later returns it secretly to him secured by tape into the current number of THE LIFEBOAT.

This edition of THE LIFEBOAT contains a comprehensive leaflet giving full details of 1973 Christmas cards, gifts and calendars for 1974, the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the RNLI. Readers are reminded that all orders should be directed promptly to RNLI (Trading) Ltd, Lifeboat Depot, Borcham Wood, Herts, WD6 2AE, to avoid disappointment. A 'Giles' cartoon is a feature of one of the Christmas cards.

Lifeboat Societies Abroad There has been continuing close cooperation in recent months between the RNLI and lifeboat societies overseas.

An ex-RNLI lifeboat bought by the Portuguese Lifeboat Society was shipped from Dublin to Lisbon. Technical drawings of the Solent class of life boat were sent to Chile. Certain items of equipment were despatched to the Spanish Lifeboat Society, and the Secretary of the South African Sea Rescue Institution visited the RNLI head office to discuss fund raising and organisational matters.

Philatelic covers The first of the RNLI's new 37-foot 6-inch Rother class lifeboats was built at William Osborne's yard at Littlehampton in 1972. She is now stationed at Port Erin, Isle of Man.

The cost of the lifeboat was donated by Major Osman Gabriel, of Sussex, and the vessel has been named after him. The official naming ceremony took place at Port Erin on August 4, 1973, and to commemorate the occasion an official souvenir cover has been produced which illustrates the lifeboat and bears a special one-day commemorative handstamp at Port Erin.

A limited number of the covers were carried aboard the lifeboat and thesehave been specially cacheted; a small number of these carried covers have been personally signed by Major Osman Gabriel.

Prices are: official Port Erin lifeboat covers, fully serviced, 33p each as above but carried on Port Erin lifeboat 55p each; carried covers, signed by Major Osman Gabriel, £1,10 each.

The day of the lifeboat naming ceremony was also the first day of issue of the Isle of Man railway stamps and a special cover has been produced to commemorate both the events.

Affixed to the special lifeboat covers are the full set of four railway stamps and these were posted and cancelled with the 'First Day of Issue' postmark at Douglas on August 4. They were then carried by train on the Isle of Man Railway to Port Erin, where a further Ip definitive stamp, showing a view of Port Erin, was affixed and cancelled by the special lifeboat handstamp. These covers were also carried on the lifeboat and bear a cachet for this and the railway journey.

Fully serviced combined lifeboat and railway covers cost £1.10 each.

A number of the covers produced for the RNLI Hampshire Rose Appeal (April 1973 Journal, page 473) are still available.

Orders or requests for details of these special issues may be obtained from: RNLI Commemorative Covers, Southern District Office, 29a Castle Street, Salisbury, Wilts.

Port Erin naming The naming ceremony for the new Port Erin, Isle of Man, lifeboat Osman Gabriel took place in August. The 37-foot Rother was illustrated in the January, 1973, number of THE LIFEBOAT.

The Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir Peter Hyla Gawne Stallard, KCMG, cvo, MBE, handed over the lifeboat to the RNLI on behalf of the donor.

Mr Philip Clarke, member of the Committee of Management of the RNLI, accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the Institution.

Ramsgate's 2,000th life With the rescue of four people from the motor boat Christopher Robin on May 12, 1973, the Ramsgate lifeboat The Michael and Lily Davis notched up the 2,000th life to be saved by the Ramsgate lifeboat station. This is the greatest number of lives saved by any lifeboat station in Great Britain or Ireland.

There has been a lifeboat station at Ramsgate since 1802 and their record of medals for gallantry boasts no less than two gold, 37 silver and one bronze.

The predecessor of the present life-boat, the Prudential, brought from the beaches of Dunkirk some 2,800 men of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940.

When she returned to Ramsgate she had been away for over 40 hours, most of which time she had been under fire, and her crew had had no sleep for two nights. The coxswain, Howard Knight, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for this service.

The Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station, founded in 1825, has saved 1,852 lives, and the Holyhead station in Anglesey, established in 1828, has saved 1,166 lives.

Montrose naming Princess Alexandra, accompanied by her husband, Mr Angus Ogilvy, named the new Montrose lifeboat, The Lady MacRobert, on August 27. She has been paid for by a gift from the MacRobert Trusts. The Lady MacRobert is one of the RNLFs 48-foot 6-inch steel Solent class lifeboats and cost £80,000.

The Lady MacRobert, which has already been at Montrose for some months, was formally handed over to the RNLI by Air Marshal Sir Brian Baker, KBE, CB, DSO, MC, AFC, a trustee of the MacRobert Trusts. She was accepted by the Duke of Atholl, convener of the Scottish Lifeboat Council.

Among those present at the ceremony was Mr Ogilvy's mother, the Dowager Countess of Airlie, who is president of the Montrose ladies' lifeboat guild..